Autoexec password proggie

I know this probobly belongs on the Windows board, but it's more or less universal. I have a simple dos program I wrote that asks for a password, returning only if the correct password is entered. I put this program in my autoexec.bat file, guessing it would run during bootup. From what I can tell, it doesn't run, or at least the boot doesn't wait for it to return. I know it must work, though, because when I run autoexec.bat in windows, it runs the program. Yes, the program runs in true dos; not console.

"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything"
-Mark Twain

Naturally I didn't feel inspired enough to read all the links for you, since I already slaved away for long hours under a blistering sun pressing the search button after typing four whole words! - Quzah

You. Fetch me my copy of the Wall Street Journal. You two, fight to the death - Stewie

Try taking out the @echo off part and see if it says anything like an error message when you try to run password.

Naturally I didn't feel inspired enough to read all the links for you, since I already slaved away for long hours under a blistering sun pressing the search button after typing four whole words! - Quzah

You. Fetch me my copy of the Wall Street Journal. You two, fight to the death - Stewie

Ah, now that I have removed the @echo I se an error.
something along the lines of "Error - No somethingoranother, get somethingoranother.zip"
Does it need some library or something? I'll edit this post with the exact error when I next boot up.

"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything"
-Mark Twain

The simplest way to do this is to run your code prior to booting Windows. That way you still have control over the entire system.

Go into your msdos.sys file - it is a text file in Win9x OS's. Change BootGUI=1 to BootGUI=0. This will tell Windows to boot only to DOS (in Win9x only, of course). Place the path to your C program in autoexec.bat. Right after it place the path to windows or just c:\windows\win.com.

When your code exits to DOS it will resume scanning the autoexec and then will run Windows from the path you supplied. This is no different than when Windows boots up save that you are invoking win.com instead of io.sys invoking it.

Also there are ways to totally lock out the desktop and run your code in the foreground as the only program - or the only one displayed - no icons, no start bar, no program manager, etc. There should be some info on the net about doing this.